Since reaffirming our shared goal, nothing in my daily routine had particularly changed. I still spent nearly all my time outside of essential tasks playing the game.

Unless something special came up, my days consisted of sleeping, eating, and taking brief breaks for exercise. I also attended rehabilitation sessions every weekend, and being settled in Sigma’s dorm made commuting much more convenient. Any time saved was, naturally, dedicated to more gaming.

Of course, a few things had shifted. I no longer had to grind for gold as desperately as before.

[Training Mode – Simulation Match]
[Battlefield: Bamboo Grove]
[Rules: Duel]
[Opponent: Sigma’s Luche (Holy Knight)]

Luche hadn’t returned home during the vacation period. She said it was because her home was close enough to the dorm that she didn’t need to, but I could guess the truth—her performance at the Prelude must have frustrated her.

The person Ga-yun is hardest on is herself. The Luche I knew was unstoppable, a woman with unyielding resolve. Even with the Summer League yet to start, she wasn’t letting any available moment go to waste.

Like me, she also needed to raise her skills before the championship. In this team, she was likely the one pushing herself the hardest.

[You are now affected by the ‘Whisper of the Black Moon.’]
[All attack power, movement speed, and counter-attack judgments receive beneficial effects.]
[Certain skills are enhanced...]

A sword radiated light as it struck forward, cutting through the air with sharp precision. Luche’s stance and fundamentals were solid, built on consistent practice. Despite her blade narrowly missing my shoulder, the attack didn’t end there. She blocked my escape route with her shield, following up with a precise downward slash.

It seemed her objective was clear—taking my arm without overextending.

I could dodge. But I could also do more.

I aimed at the side of her blade, forcefully deflecting it with the tip of my dagger, altering its trajectory and seizing the space above her weapon. With her sword out of position, I stepped forward, leaving a mark on her forearm.

“You’re too slow! Faster!”

Her eyes wavered slightly. She’d lost her rhythm.

Up until now, Luche had been leading the attack. Yet she’d taken a considerable counter, and the reason was clear: I’d had enough time to recover my stance.

Allowing an opponent any breathing room means you were moving too slowly. If that’s the case, she needed to consider where the difference in speed came from. Was it because she’s a Holy Knight and I’m an Assassin?

Of course not. If it were an insurmountable issue, I wouldn’t have brought it up. I was pointing out the path Luche needed to take.

“It’s not your body; it’s your mind that’s too slow. Especially between attacks. If you don’t prepare for what’s ‘next,’ you’ll naturally leave openings.”

If she couldn’t physically speed up, she needed to quicken her thoughts.

During a fight, the mind must remain active without pause. Predicting an opponent’s moves and preparing the next response in advance—that small margin of time could ultimately become an opportunity.

I aimed my dagger at her neck, but Luche narrowly dodged and then lunged at me with a counterattack. I retreated a few steps, noting an opening, and threw a shuriken.

“This… isn’t easy.”

“That’s why we practice. It sounds hard, but if you’re conscious of it, you’ll improve quickly. The most common moves are generally predictable.”

“So I need to imprint these moves into my body?”

“Exactly! There’ll come a time when you react automatically, even from slight movements.”

First, learn the concept with your mind. Then, ingrain it through practice until it becomes instinct. As your mind becomes freer, new paths open.

Once you reach a certain level of skill, you have no choice but to keep stacking small advantages like these. That’s why the battles between pros might look evenly matched on the surface but are, in reality, separated by a daunting skill gap. Just a little—Luche’s blade work had already started to change.

“Good, keep it up!”

[Infinity Black has ended.]
[Thank you, Ga-wol, for using our service.]

Training with Luche wasn’t purely for her benefit. Teaching someone else often led to new insights and allowed me to revisit overlooked basics.

Outside of the game, I was learning a lot from Luche, too.

Following her around, I’d developed a more structured lifestyle. Even in terms of time management, I picked up valuable tips. We all have the same 24 hours, but efficiency makes all the difference.

“Are you going on your trip next week?”

“Yes. Mostly for the stream, or that’s the excuse, anyway. I’ll probably only stream briefly, though.”

In a few days, I had a vacation planned too. I was set to meet up with Elderin, Sansae, Sulbbang, and Ryeohee. I’d even invited Luche, though it seemed she’d prefer to go on a separate trip around the same time.

By the end of the break, it’d likely coincide with our team members returning.

“Have a great time. When you’re on vacation, it’s best to focus on relaxing and having fun.”

This was my first trip since the accident, so naturally, I was feeling excited.

“Where are you all going?”

“We’re heading to Gapyeong. I heard we’re renting a private pool villa.”

“A pool villa, huh? Sounds nice. With no one else around, you can even go in the water comfortably.”

The weather was heating up, and it seemed Elderin was keen on getting in the water. She must’ve put some thought into how to make it work with me around.

I didn’t dislike water; in fact, I loved it. Most of my memories associated with water were warm and happy.

Maybe that’s why I was so excited.

To get into the water, though, I’d need careful arrangements. I’d need someone nearby to assist, and a crowded area would be a problem. If someone accidentally bumped my left leg, the joy would evaporate instantly. Naturally, this was something I hadn’t dared to do when I was living alone.

I’d likely rely on Sansae again this time, but just once. I didn’t plan to make a habit of it, but I did want to float in a life jacket at least once.

Luche nudged at this part of me with a probing question.

“By the way, Daeun, just curious… do you have a swimsuit?”

Oh.

“…Couldn’t I just wear a t-shirt?”

“Well, your underwear would show through anyway.”

“Then… just the shirt on its own…”

Luche gave me a long, skeptical look, as if to ask if I was serious.

That’s when I realized my mistake. If I wore just a shirt, my skin would show through. Completely exposing one’s upper body was something only men could do.

I lowered my head, embarrassed, and Luche offered a solution.

“Shall we go shopping?”

“Yes…”

The destination was the high-rise dungeon on the 44th floor—the shopping mall near the terminal.

Since summer had arrived, many people were preparing for vacations. One store was even fully decked out with a water-play theme. This saved us from having to go store-hopping.

Just like when buying underwear, there was an odd sense of guilt in these stores. Even just wandering around made me feel like people would mistake me for a pervert. Browsing the racks was unthinkable, but I had no choice since I needed to buy something.

“What’s your favorite color, Daeun?”

“I don’t really have one, but if I had to choose… black, I guess.”

“Mature. Nice choice. Let’s pick something together.”

Most swimsuits in the store were vibrant and colorful. Young women around my age roamed the aisles with bright smiles, clearly enjoying the selection. Bright, pretty colors like those were probably the “influencer” aesthetic.

But I wasn’t the type for that. I’d spent years as a hikikomori, hiding away in my room.

Pretty colors? Not a chance. Even when I did go out, I preferred black or white clothes. If it wasn’t neutral, it felt like “attention-grabbing,” and wearing those kinds of clothes felt overwhelming.

So at first, I went for something plain, like an athlete’s swimsuit. Then, I shifted interest to a rash guard with short sleeves or shorts.

“Daeun, I found a few. Shall we look together? …Wait, what’s that in your hand?”

“A swimsuit. This one has no exposure, so I think it’s okay.”

“Alright. I respect your choice.”

Luche didn’t push me further. Maybe I’d just stick with this. If I could find a long-sleeve version, even better.

“Still, it’s a bit of a shame.”

“Why?”

“For a streamer, it’s important to show viewers what they want to see. With your figure, any swimsuit would look beautiful on you.”

Her words lingered in my mind.

Hearing “beautiful” made me genuinely happy. Luche wasn’t only impressive as a pro but as a person, too. Even so… ultra-feminine clothing just wasn’t for me.

“If you’re uncomfortable with exposure, you could wear a cover-up.”

That was an option I hadn’t considered. Still, a bit…

“I’d like to see you in a pretty swimsuit too, Daeun.”

Hmm.

“Thank you for shopping with us!”

In the end, I decided on a bikini—with a thin, white cover-up.

Somehow, I felt like I’d been tricked.

Or had I?

“You made the right choice. It looked great on you.”

“Yes…”

Maybe not.